Swindon golfers qualify for National Final

Swindon pairing Curtis Cole and Steven Hellis have qualified for the national final of the American Golf 9 Hole Championship following an impressive display at the regional qualifying held at Cumberwell Park Golf Club. They now progress to Ryder Cup venue, The Belfry, on 7 and 8 September where they will battle it out for the title of best 9 Hole Pair in the UK.

Cole and Hellis, both members at Wrag Barn Golf Club, secured qualification with victory across the front 9 holes, scoring a remarkable 25 points. Despite horrific wind and rain, the Swindon pair battled through the elements to take the win from Dartmouth Golf Club pairing Geraldine Sedgbeer and Ian Jenkins who came in with a very creditable 23 points.

Cole and Hellis now join qualifiers from all over the UK and Ireland in front of Sky Sports’ cameras at the Belfry Grand Final where they will compete across two days to be crowned American Golf 9 Hole Champions. This win also puts them in contention for the Tournament of Champions in Mauritius, should they succeed at the iconic Midland venue.

“Our 9 Hole Championship is hugely popular,” explains Daniel Gathercole, Director of Marketing and Communication at American Golf. “It gives golfers the chance to play Championship Golf after work and still be home at a reasonable time. Golf has struggled to find a place in people’s busy lives over recent years so we’re delighted that events such as the 9 Hole Championship have proved so popular. It’s clear to us that golfers’ love of the game is still there, we’re just finding new ways to help them get out on the course more often.”

Local American Golf Manager Samantha Masters from the Swindon store commented, “I know we should be impartial but we’ll be cheering on Curtis and Steven when they go on to the Belfry for the national finals. It’s fantastic to have the local golfing community represented when qualifiers from all over the UK and Ireland go into battle so we’ll be keeping a special eye for how they get on.”

Entry to all of the American Golf Championships, including the American Golf 9 Hole Championship, is absolutely free and is part of the nationwide retailer’s drive to promote the game of golf and get more people out playing golf more often.